untitled design

Emergency measures in the US, first fuel shortages after the cyber attack on the Colonial Pipeline

Extraordinary measures to facilitate refueling and prevent panic are being taken by the authorities in the USA as they fear large shortages of gasoline after the cyber attack against the leading American fuel company, the Colonial Pipeline, many motorists of the east coast of the USA rushed yesterday Tuesday to fill their vehicles with gasoline.

On the outskirts of Altada, Raleigh and Charlotte – North Carolina and Georgia – more than 30 percent of gas stations ran out of fuel last Tuesday night, according to GasBuddy. Σin North Carolina more than 10% of gas stations had no fuel at all, said the same source.

The situation is difficult in Virginia, Georgia and South Carolina, according to AMPE.

Some motorists feared there would be a shortage of fuel following Friday’s cyber attack on the Colonial Pipeline, which carries 45 percent of the fuel consumed off the east coast of the United States.

The company has been trying to restore its services ever since and hopes to have it “by the end of the week”.

Confirming this goal, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm assured yesterday that “there is no reason to run out of fuel.” It is about “for a supply problem not a shortage of fuelStressed by the White House.

But “people are watching the news and they are scared,” said the owner of a gas station in Raleigh. “They fill cans with gasoline.”

Price increase

The price of gasoline is rising at a time when it is already rising as the US economy begins to recover. The average price of a gallon (3.79 liters) reached $ 2.99 yesterday, the highest level since 2014, according to GasBuddy.

The Minister of Energy stressed that the authorities will not tolerate traders who will try to take advantage of the situation by raising fuel prices.

Due to a lack of kerosene at Charlotte Airport, American Airlines had to modify two of its flights to Hollowulu and London, adding a stop.

According to the US Federal Police, The cyber-attack was launched by the Darskside organization which used a redemptive, malicious program that exploits security vulnerabilities to enter a system by locking files and then demands ransom to unlock them.

The organization hit the largest refinery pipeline management company in the United States, which carries diesel and gasoline along more than 8,800 kilometers of refineries in the Gulf of Mexico to the northeastern United States and the New York area.

In order to reduce the supply problems, the American authorities allowed the tanker drivers to work longer hours than usual as early as Sunday night.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Tuesday issued a temporary exemption in some areas of the United States allowing them to relax environmental legislation in urban areas to facilitate refueling.

The exemption, which originally applied to the federal capital of Washington and the states of Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia until May 18, eventually extended into the states of Alabama, Delaware, Georgia and some counties of Florida, Lorraine, Florida and North Carolina and Tennessee by May 31.

The governors of Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia have also declared a state of emergency to facilitate refueling, for example by removing the weight limits for tankers. This measure was extended last night to the federal highways following a decision by the Ministry of Transport.

You may also like

Get the latest

Stay Informed: Get the Latest Updates and Insights

 

Most popular